Local News

4 Shot At Oakbrook Center; 2 Suspects In Custody, 1 Still At Large

/ CBS Chicago

OAK BROOK, Ill. (CBS) -- Four people, including one suspect, were shot Thursday night at Oakbrook Center, police confirm. One shooter is still at large Friday.

An officer at Nordstrom heard shots around 5:45 p.m. and went outside the store to find two people shooting at each other, who then ran into the store, police said.

One person is in custody and another person, a companion of a second suspect, is hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. According to police, the second shooter is at large.

Police released a photo of the person they are searching for, saying at the time of the shooting, he was wearing a blue puffy jacket and tight dark jeans. They also asked that anyone who lives near Oakbrook Center check their security video for him or anything that might give information about the incident. Police were searching for the man in the area north of the mall near Roosevelt Road.

One of the suspected shooters, a man in his 30s, was shot "three to four times," Police Chief James Kruger said. He underwent surgery Thursday night.

Three other people were also shot. Two women in their 40s were shot one time. A woman in her 20s was also shot one time. Another woman in her 20s fractured her ankle while running from the shooting, the police chief said.

As reported by CBS 2' Asal Rezaei, Oak Brook Police say it took help from over 30 community law enforcement agencies to get things under control at the mall.

There was a shooting at Oakbrook Center. The mall is closed as this is an active investigation. One (1) offender is in...

Posted by Oak Brook Police Department on Thursday, December 23, 2021
Michael Conroy was walking out of Hollister near the Amazon store when the shooting took place.
"I heard one pop, which made me turn my head, and then multiple pops," he said. "I saw these sparks that were very bright. I assumed that it was a prank."
Conroy said he believes he saw someone get shot and saw others around the area jump, but he was not sure if multiple people were shot.
"I just ran," he said.
One shopper said a woman came running into the store where he was and alerted other shoppers inside to the situation.
"She runs in and she goes, 'Guys, there's a shooter.' We all panicked," Hoxhi Mulla told CBS 2's Jermont Terry from outside the shopping center.
Phil Andrew, a security expert, and former FBI member explained that it will take some time for authorities to clear the mall as they go through to find pockets of people sheltering in place and make sure everyone is safe and can leave the area.

Oakbrook Center is an outdoor mall and major shopping center located near Interstate 88 and Route 83 in Oak Brook.

An active investigation is underway, and the mall is closed. As of 9:15 p.m. police said about one-third of the mall had been secured. Two weapons were recovered.

A family reunification site was set up at the Marriott hotel across 22nd Street to the south of the mall.

Police have asked anyone with information regarding the incident to call (630)368-8732 or email RFoltyniewicz@oak-brook.org.

© 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Read more
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.